This report examines the fate of general obligation (G.O.) bond measures in California from 1986 to 1999. For the entire 13-year period, the passage rate for local G.O. bonds averaged 54 percent. However, this average masks some dramatic variations depending on when the election was held, the district holding the election, and the area of California in which it was located. In 1990, California's school-facility problems were apparent, but a serious recession in the early 1990s had a dampening effect both on local district's willingness to go to voters for G.O. bonds and voters' willingness to approve them. Although the success of bond elections has varied by district type and size, in general, small elementary districts have done better at the polls and received approval for substantially more funding for facilities on a per-pupil basis. As a whole, elementary districts have been more successful at securing voter approval than unified districts and high-school districts. However, when it comes to amount per pupil, high-school districts received more money, reflecting, in part, the higher cost of high-school facilities. Furthermore, bond-election passage rates differed by county and region, and the causes behind success or failure remain open to question. (RJM)

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